Dr Advocate Linda Mbana, Alumna from the Tshwane University of Technology’s Department of Safety and Security Management.
Sharing her sentiments on her appointment, Adv Mbana says: "I am greatly honoured to be the Ombudsperson for such a prestigious institution. It provides me with another arena to continue with my life’s mission to positively impact the lives of our stakeholders."
Dr Mbana completed a PhD in Policing at the Department of Safety and Security Management at TUT in two years. “When I defended my thesis, the panel said I qualify cum laude, as my study was a first-of-its-kind in South Africa,” she said.
Prof Jacob Mofokeng, African Research Chairholder at the Department of Safety and Security Management, who was Dr Mbana’s main supervisor, as well as co-supervisors, Drs Witness Maluleke and Dee Khoza, congratulated and wished her well in the new position.
“As her supervising team, we congratulate Dr Mbana for the significant appointment at UNISA. We take pride in empowering our students with knowledge that works, so that they can go out into the world and influence change. We trust that with her experience at the department and the way in which we rendered quality service to her and our postgraduate students, she will be able to do the same in her new portfolio. We know she will excel because she was diligent in her doctoral studies,” said Prof Mofokeng.
Dr Mbana brings a wealth of experience to the portfolio, with a CV to be envied. "I did not study law to become an executive, rather, to be the voice of the voiceless and a defender of the powerless," she said.
Dr Advocate Linda Mbana.
Dr Mbana has held various positions in her career, primarily working as a legal advisor. She is an Advocate of the High Court and has a wealth of experience in fiduciary duties on boards and committees.
She studied BJuris and LLB at the University of Fort Hare. Thereafter, she continued to study towards an LLM in Labour Law at the University of the Free State. Dr Mbana is currently studying Dispute Resolution Management at the University of the Witwatersrand. She is an admitted attorney and was a Major General in the South African Police Services (SAPS), responsible for Legal Services. She was later appointed Head of the Hawks in the North-West province.
"I was previously a Deputy CEO at PSIRA responsible for Law Enforcement. Currently, I am an executive responsible for Regulatory Services at the Cross-Border Road Transport Agency and a part-time Commissioner of the Defence Force Service Commission," she added.
She added that growing up in a dusty town in the Eastern Cape, she was confronted daily with the true nature of social injustice. The harsh reality of her background is what shaped her outlook on life.
"I have resolved at a young age to pursue the legal profession to fight social injustices and stand up for the underdog. This appointment is yet another avenue, availed to me by Unisa, to ensure that justice and equity prevail within the institution," she concluded.